Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1887-07-21

the seventy-four, she would still b,
overhauled by one or the other of th.
ontermost ships that led respectively
the starboard and larboard wings O
the fleet.
The captain of the Yankee knew
the qualities of his vessel. and wha,
she was capable of doing when on hel
best sailing point.
They'll have Us if we keep on thi,
way" he cried, 1--WE must up helm
and run 10 leeward. right with ths
seventy-fonrl Ifshe cuts us to pieces
so be i'll We are lost m we are
Stand By to wear shipl
pa Aaln WAS put carefully a-weath.
er. the lee braces were eessd on, and
with the yards laid square. and the
long boom Of the mainsail away out
over her side. the Yankee, smashing
and tumbling, ran dead to leeward.
As the rrivateer came rushing down
toward he. the Plantagenet also fell
off from the wind. and, bringing to
bear all the thirty-seven guns of her
weather broadside. poured out tre-
mendous fire.
Not spunyarn, however, on board
the Yankee was damaged; for with
the rough sea and the very natural
hurry, there could be little accuracy
Of aim.
Again and again the laundering SAL
utation was repeated, but all to no
purpose. And now the Englishman
put his ship before the wind, on q
course parallel with that of the pri-
vateer, so that for a short time the
two vessels sailed broadside and broad.
side, less than a quarter of mile
apart; the seventy-four, all the while,
keeping her heavy batteries in full
play.
1t is singular that, with all this fir
ing, not shot should have taken ef.
feet upon the little hermaphrodlte
brig. 1t must be remembered, how.
ever, that gunnery upon the ocean is
not like gunnery upon the land.
With the muzzle Of his gun at one
moment on a level with the waves,
them. the manager Of cannon m non at sea
labors under difficulties of which the
land artillerist knows nothing.
Unscathed from her ordeal, the
Yankee sped away, leaving the Bri.
tons TO wonder at her strange manner
of eluding them.
A very stirring cruise, although
perhaps the least profitable Of any that
she ever made, was that iu the course
Of which she followed British con.
voy for fonr thousand miles, or from
the mouth of the English Channel to
the West Indies.
The fleet consisted of eighty sail of
merchantmen. guarded by consider
able squadron of men.of.war; and
when these more than fourscore ves-
sells hove in sight, coming down the
chOnnel, they must have presented
most imposing appearance.
l have heard it described by men
who were Of the privateer's crew; and
they told me how it impressed them
with the vastness Of England's marine
interest.
Here would be seen a number of
merchantmen not far apart; there two
or three men of war; then, ether mer-
chantmen; and next, more men -of.war.
And thus they stood off from Lands
End, while the Yankee cautiously fol-
lowed, ready to swoop down, at the
first opportunity, upon any unhappy
straggler.
Before reaching the neighborhood
of the Barbados. she had captured
FIVE of them in spite of their formida.
bic escort; but of these. all except one
were retaken on their way to the Un-
tied States. so that four.ffths of the
expected prize money slipped through
the fingers of the captors.
Time after time, while lodging about
this heavy feet, she was chased of
by the men-of war, but they were un-
able to come up with her, and would
resume their stations only to find her
as troublesome as before.
At length, when the West India
Islands were close at hand, it began
to look as i: no more captures could
be made; for the enemy had become
extremely vigilaut, and would appar.
emily soon be in safety.
They were destined, however, to
lose a sixth vessel. and one larger than
any of those previously captured.
While the squadron was in plain
sight from the privateer, the weather
became so calm that the ships were
unable to make headway. and it was